Writing Dialogue That Captures

One of the first things that will inform a reader that the script they’re reading was written by an inexperienced writer is shoddy or superfluous dialogue— that’s where the loudest alarm bell often sounds.

I mean, one can pass off less-than-traditional format as personal style, right? One can even pass off overbearing actions lines and keyboard direction as specifications for production; the notorious ‘It’s okay, I’m directing it too’ will have you reading pages full of camera directions rather than crucial beats that build a story… But it still doesn’t register as being as destructive to a screenplay as poorly written dialogue does.

One thing that many new writers misunderstand is the very purpose of dialogue. When we place two characters across from each other at a bar and have them speak, it isn’t because we want to know what they had for lunch — it isn’t even because we want to know more about these characters! We put them there to speak because their actions and dialogue are going to push the story in the direction that it is destined to go. If our characters are speaking for the sake of speaking, rather than a combination of exposition, exploring the subtext and advancing the plot, then our characters’ dialogue is absolutely useless and typically boring?

So how do we write dialogue that captivates?

Well, I won’t pretend to know the secrets to spinning gold on a page like Paul Schrader, but I will do my best to expand on the tips and tricks I’ve used to write and sell screenplays over the last few years.

Withhold information:

To someone who isn’t terribly familiar with the art and practice of screenwriting (or storytelling in general) this tip might seem completely counter-intuitive to the process. One would think that the entire point of verbal communication, in any scenario, is to produce and share information. And, yes, it is — objectively! But, when you are the screenwriter, the key to enticing your audience is to keep them guessing. You give your audience a few clues and let them fill in the blanks; and they will fill in the blanks. Writers will strategically withhold information whether they are writing dramedies for FX or murder mysteries for Netflix. Keep dialogue relevant, but keep your audience slightly in the dark. For instance, what’s more interesting to hear from a man who’s down on his luck and in need of a couch: “Hey Marty, my wife, Annette, kicked me out of the house because she came home and found me drinking a beer rather than folding the laundry she’d done in the morning. I need a place, can I come over” OR “Marty, listen, I seriously fucked up. Annette threw me out and I’ve got nowhere to go”. It’s an extreme example but you get the idea. If he puts it the second way, we want to know why Annette threw him out and how seriously he fucked up.

Stretch your words and their meanings:

Metaphors, analogies, similes, wordplay! The ideal screenwriter moonlights as an underground rapper. Okay — he/she doesn’t, but the point stands; the best screenwriters are wordsmiths. In your journey to orchestrate outstanding dialogue you’ll find yourself gripping a thesaurus. There’s no shame in that. The reason word-substitution and cleverly structured diction are important is simple: we, as human beings, are attracted to nuance— this includes new uses for words. It’s odd, but true. The first hunter to kill his/her prey by throwing their spear rather than thrusting it was probably the talk of their village for quite some time. The first surfer to appropriate the word “righteous” probably got some silent appreciation from their well-tanned comrades. And the first character to say “I’m passing a red giant” while pants down on the toilet probably amused a moviegoer or two. Consider the following comparison: “I’ve given Anderson enough chances. His failures are his own fault” OR “Anderson ground my patience to dust. He sank his own ship”. Finding new ways to say the regular is a great technique to keep dialogue fresh.

Escalate at all times:

Always, always, always escalate. Always. In no movie ever did a plot improve by slowing its conflict or de-escalating. To quote Mamet (perhaps quoting someone else) “A.B.E., always be escalating”. And if you’re not escalating, at least be changing. But let’s remember why. As a screenwriter your job is to sow conflict and discord on every page of your script. Why? Conflict is the essence of plot! Without conflict, your story isn’t about anything. So what does escalation have to do with it? Well, escalation is like miracle-gro for conflict — use it and watch your conflicts become more explosive and more frequent; watch your characters push each other into corners, bubble up and burst. Though escalation is a general and necessary technique, you can improve the way you escalate situations through your dialogue (or lack of it). For instance, in a scene where a father is explaining to his son that he’s spent his son’s college fund on his addictions, instead of having the son cry out “How could you do this to me, dad? What will I do after May?”, consider a soft “fuck you” and a prompt exit. In this case, there’s no escalation in the son trying to level with his dad and understand his father’s vices or feelings; there’s less emotion and intrigue, and the differences to overcome require much less revelation. In our second scenario, our father-son relationship is strained — Maybe even nonexistent; and that is wonderfully dramatic. Beats, scenes and stories are made more impactful when you escalate.

Implement your wit:

Your wit is your what gives your script its charming voice, isn’t it? Nobody has your specific style of writing, nor your specific perspective — take advantage of this. Write in a way that amuses you, even if you’re worried other people might not get it. Remember what we talked about earlier: people are attracted to nuance. Your nuanced cleverness will, at the very least, draw the attention of an audience, even if they don’t like or get it. With your wit, find ways to make your characters’ dialogue funny, charming, cute, enticing and ALWAYS intelligent. As Truby tells us, ‘Even the least intelligent or uneducated character speaks at the highest level at which that person is capable. Even when a character is wrong, he is wrong more eloquently than in real life’. Keep this in mind when writing dialogue. Your wit and intellect should shine through your characters, even if they are dumb as bricks. Dialogue should never reflect a real-life conversation. It should always be sharper, smarter and more insightful. It should always feel like the culmination of a talented writer’s wit and time. Don’t ever forget that your wit is the spirit of your unique voice.

Looking back on the first things that I ever wrote, I realize that I spent so much time trying to reflect what I thought a real life conversation would sound like on screen. Don’t repeat that mistake. Reflect on these tips to help you create more dramatic and more interesting dialogue that sounds cinematic, not realistic. Cinematic, dramatic, escalating, withheld, nuanced and witty dialogue is what captivates an audience. The best way to arrive at this kind of dialogue is simply to practice it. Don’t rush. Take your time. Improve!